This invention is directed to a new and novel plasterless articulator used in dentistry and specifically for use in the forming of dental restorations by a technician for the purpose of eliminating the work of plaster mixing and for attaching dental or other models in a fixed keyed position on the articulator.
It is also an object of this invention to allow the technician to remove and rearticulate the model by a special key technique allowed by this plasterless articulator that at present does not exist.
While plasterless articulators do exist, none, once removed has the ability to return to the same fixed position for accuracy since no successful key positioning exists.
The invention comprises a special articulator with the following capabilities: to be able to eliminate plaster work and plaster or other composition; to be able to accomplish the elimination of work and material and to key a model to a prefixed position such that after removal the model can be returned to the same prefixed position; furthermore, the model may be removed and returned in such a manner repeatedly without error.
This invention further comprises a model base former for preforming the base of the model to accept special attachments which will key lock the model to a prefixed position on the special articulator designed for this purpose, to allow removal for working on or transporting the model and to allow it to be returned to the same preset position.
This invention is an improvement over the present plasterless articulators since those that presently exist are of the kind that use vertical bolts and horizontal bolts to secure models to their articulators. Once removed, the models have to be reseated into a bite plane or matrix to be rearticulated. The present invention allows the model to be reseated into its keyed position with precision by use of a square holed model with a key lock retainer imbedded therein which is seated and held by magnet attraction. The operator can remove the models from the articulator giving freedom to work on the models separate from the articulation and return them to check articulation as often as desired with pecision without the need of a bite plane or matrix.